Dubai Desert: Evening Quad Bike, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner

4.94

(157 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We were already bouncing over the Lahbab dunes before I realized how far we’d left the city behind. Our driver, Ahmed, grinned every time someone yelped during dune bashing — I swear he hit every dip on purpose. The sand out here is softer than I expected, almost like flour slipping through your fingers when you grab a handful. After the rush of the ride, there was this moment where everything just went quiet except for the wind and that low hum from the quad bikes lining up nearby.

I’d never been on a quad bike before — my hands were shaky at first (don’t laugh), but our guide gave me a thumbs-up and shouted something encouraging over the engine noise. The sun was dropping fast, throwing these wild pink streaks across the sky while we zipped around for what felt like both forever and five minutes. I still remember the taste of dust in my mouth mixed with sweet tea they poured when we finally stopped at camp. There’s something about drinking hot tea outside after all that adrenaline that just hits different.

Later, there were camels waiting by this little fence — their eyelashes are ridiculous up close. I tried sandboarding too; fell straight onto my back and got sand everywhere (my shoes are probably still full of it). Inside the camp it smelled like grilled meat and shisha smoke — not unpleasant, just sort of earthy and warm. Henna artists waved us over while music started up for the belly dance show. The Tanura dancer spun so long I got dizzy just watching him. Someone handed me a plate loaded with barbecue and rice; honestly, I lost track of time after that.